Nenshi wants flexible federal funding for transit

By Robson Fletcher, Metro CalgaryMayor Naheed Nenshi doesnâ��t want Calgary to end up cornered into a public-private partnership in order to qualify for federal funding to expand LRT lines, as an advocacy group says happened in Edmonton.â��Right now, the real problem is that the only dedicated federal funding at this moment is through P3 Canada,â�� Nenshi said Tuesday.â��I will be in Ottawa in November to really press the federal government to renew their other infrastructure programs and to create a dedicated fund for transit.â��Ottawaâ��s P3 Canada Fund is aimed at promoting at least partial private-sector involvement in public projects.But Public Interest Alberta (PIA) alleges federal officials pressured Edmonton city councillors into agreeing to a major privatization of its expanded LRT line, including private operation of transit service.Edmontonâ��s initial application didnâ��t include private operation, said PIA executive director Bill Moore-Kilgannon, but councillors then changed their minds at a behind-closed-doors meeting on Aug. 29.Nenshi said heâ��s not opposed to public-private partnerships per se, but the approach doesnâ��t appear to make sense for transit expansion in Calgary.â��Theyâ��re very, very big and complex projects and we havenâ��t really seen that the savings are there,â�� Nenshi said.Ald. Shane Keating said heâ��s open to private partnership, especially if it helps accelerate a southeast LRT line.â��P3s may be the way to go,â�� he said.By Robson Fletcher, Metro CalgaryThis article was published in Metro Calgary on October 16, 2012. Read the full article here.